Leave Gardens alone

September 29, 2006

Dear Sir,

We all need a good hospital for health care as well as trees for oxygen.What's so wrong about having the hospital built on the same hospital site?

An affordable vacation

September 28, 2006

Dear Sir,

Responding to Ann from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, who only sees rooms for $600-2000 per night, surely the pleasures of Bermuda are to be found outside of the five star hotels.

One should still be able to get comfortable accommodations in the range of $150 to $200 per night, assuming that a person is fairly mobile and has the benefit of 17 years of visits to know their way around. Just get on the Internet and type "bermuda accommodations" into the search engine. We had a lovely private (light housekeeping) apartment for $125/night during the low season.

Help for the handicapped

August 29, 2006

Dear Sir,

I am writing this letter concerning the newspaper article titled "Our patience had run out" which appeared in the Royal Gazette on June 8, 2006. It was a good article. However there are some concerns that I need to address.

My first concern is the statement made by Minister Ewart Brown about the BPHA not cooperating with his Ministry of Transportation. This statement is not true. I have met with his Ministry twice in the last few years and had talks with the Permanent Secretary. Minister Ewart Brown was there for a few minutes of the meetings. Minister Ewart Brown says he works with Keith Simmons. Mr. Simmons is a government worker with the Age Concern and Physically Challenge office. In my opinion he has to watch what he says in public because he is a civil servant.

Disabled people who have their own private transportation don't really sense the urgency of those who don't have transportation. Here is a case in point. Access Awareness Week had a low turn out of the wheelchair users due to a lack of accessible transportation. I am frustrated because, those who need accessible transportation are still waiting. Minister Dr. Ewart Brown you are in the position to write the prescription so we can cure the transportation problem.

My second concern in the article is the statement by Minister Ewart Brown that there are 25 disabled vehicles on the road. Yes there are and maybe even more, but they are not available to be used islandwide by the wheelchair users. I want to bring to Minister Ewart Brown's attention, some of the reasons why. Some of the vehicles belong to the Ministry of Education, some belong to rest homes and some belong to private individuals and they do not lend them out to other organisations. On one occasion a driver who worked for the Education Ministry gave me a ride to work was disciplined by his employer. When the employee asked why he could not help any disable person he was told they are not apart of that ministry. The only ones who has assisted in lending out their transportation is Summerhaven and the BPHA to all the above mentioned over the years and the BPHA are still doing so up to today.

At this time I would like to thank The Royal Gazette for the coverage you gave for the Access Awareness Week. Thanks to the reporter Nadia Arandjelovic who came to do the interviews with some of the residents in Summerhaven about their concerns.

Thank you to the Ministry of Health and Social Services, and the Office of Age Concern and Physically Challenge co-coordinators, Ann Lindroth and Keith Simmons for their hard work.

I would like to acknowledge whoever was responsible for putting an elevator in the House of Assembly and making it accessible for people like me. The late Margaret Carter would be so happy that one of her wishes has finally come true. Now I can visit in person to see and hear my politicians legislate. (I hope I don't end up having to go to the Supreme Court now that it's accessible for the wrong reason)!!

Raise money yourselves

September 27, 2006

Dear Sir,

I read in today's paper that people are willing to pay $5 per week for ten years. This sounds great at such a little price. Now let me show the truth. Ask that same individual who makes $15 per hour or less, assuming this is about the average hourly wage of the average working person in Bermuda, to work 20 minutes every week for the next ten years just to pay for the difference in cost of building on site. This works out to just about 2.5 days per year and 24 days over the ten years.

Now ask, 'do you want to work for 24 days, more then even starting Government Employees get for vacation (19 days), to work, for a month, without collecting a pay cheque' as what has been earned will all go to the hospital. What answer do you think most would say? I think and I will say "no way!"

However, for those who are so opposed to this and are willing to pay for this difference, I suggest that you all come together and put your money where you mouth is, and not speculate what can be raised, but to raise the $100 million yourselves.

This will show your unwavering support against this decision and I am sure Government will not only listen to what you have to say, but will react to your clear statement when you hand over a cheque for $100 million dollars, to cover the difference. I myself may even change my opinion on your stance; however I will not donate any funding for your efforts.

NIGEL TURINI

Hamilton Parish

Use 'Old Hospital' wing

September 27, 2006

@$:Dear Sir,

With the Government presentation of plans for a new hospital, nobody is asking "do we need a new hospital?" With a proposed budget of $500 million, which would eventually turn out to cost much more, and the use of Agricultural Department grounds for such a facility ? we need to examine the necessity for such a capital project. The old hospital facing Point Finger Road opened in 1920 so is 86 years old. While not the most attractive of buildings it fulfils a very useful purpose.

In the North wing there are 100 beds for the Alzheimer unit and extended care providing full time nursing care that is not available in any other facility on the Island. The old KEMH also provides accommodation in the South wing for some Government offices and the Public Health laboratory.

With regard to the "new KEMH " completed some 40 years ago ? when we read of complaints in the press (often unfounded) about the hospital, they are never about the physical establishment but about the nursing or medical care or the way the hospital functions. At the present time construction is in progress for upgrading of the Radio-Isotope Department and in the last 20 years we have seen a new expanded Emergency Department, a new cardiac diagnostic unit, installation of CT scanner and MRI units, an extension providing accommodation for new surgical operating suites, Ultrasound imaging,the wound care unit and the Hyperbaric chamber.

The main complaint we have is that we need more beds. The hospital functions at 90 plus per cent capacity, and it is difficult for surgeons to schedule elective surgical procedures, etc. More efficient use needs to be m made of beds. Many patients spend more time in the hospital than is necessary, and inefficient use of hospital beds is costing the Insurers, and ultimately the community $600 to $700 a day for each bed.

There are ways in which bed utilisation could be improved. Patients with ulcers or bed sores may spend many months in hospital, blocking acute hospital beds. It would be more economical to have them at home or other residential facility and be transported to the hospital as necessary for wound care, Hyperbaric oxygen, or other treatment.

It may be that Government offices/Public Health Lab could vacate space in the South wing of the old hospital and this area could be renovated for long term care patients. If 20 to 30 beds could be provided in this area it would greatly relieve the bed situation in the new hospital. Bermuda should be proud of its hospital, and indeed we see many letters of praise and appreciation from our visitors who have required hospitalisation while visiting the Island.

There is no need to undertake a very expensive capital project to continue to provide efficient hospital care. We need to utilise the present facilities more effectively and the cost of any upgrading, as new diagnostic or treatment regimen become available will be a fraction of $500 million.